Retention Specialist, La Plaza

Western Washington University with over 15000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school is nationally recognized for its educational programs students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham Washington a coastal community of 90000 overlooking Bellingham Bay the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver British Columbia. Western has additional sites in Anacortes Bremerton Everett Port Angeles and Poulsbo. Western is recognized nationally for its successes such as being named one of the top public masters-granting institutions in the Pacific Northwest for 25 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report.

Western Washington University is committed to achieving excellence through advancing inclusive success increasing our Washington impact and focusing on transformational education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship research and creative activity. Westerns greatest strength is the outstanding students faculty staff and alumni/ae who make up its community. Western supports an inclusive governance structure for all and provides a learning and working environment in which everyone can pursuit of this excellence individual employees are expected to establish and maintain productive and effective inclusive working relationships amongst diverse populations including staff faculty administration student and external constituents. Further individual employees are expected to have the ability to operationalize sustainability concepts (economic societal environmental) into all aspects of performing their job duties.

The Retention Specialist will be supervised by the Director of Multicultural Student Services and will collaborate with the staff and programs within The Office of Multicultural Student Services LGBTQ Western and Disability Access Center. Together the three departments make up The Centers for Student Access Community and Intercultural Engagement Unit within Academic Affairs.

The Retention Specialist will also collaborate with community partners and organizations to bridge relationships with prospective students current students alumni and community members.

Primary Responsibilities

Program Development &Management(30%)

• Program development and management Dutiesinclude:Manage the daily operations of the La Plaza the Latine Student Resource Center.

• Create implement and assess comprehensive co-curricular programming and events centering Latine identities and experiences such as the welcome event La Bienvenida Dia De Los Muertos with Whatcom Community College and the Si SePudoCelebration of Graduates. This program should provide resources support referrals celebrations and advocacy.

• Provide intersectional programmatic support such as partnering with LGBTQ Western Disability Access Center and Tribal Liaison Office Develop implement assess and enhance programs and services for Latine students to support their enrollment retention satisfaction and completion.

• Chair the Latine Student Support Network

• Chair the Latine Heritage Monthcommittee

• Support University Admissions Compass to Campus and other programs in hosting Latine student centered recruitment efforts

• Create a welcoming and inclusive environment that supports all student success centering Latine student success

Supervision engagement and advising (30%)

• Recruit hire train and supervise student employees.

• Supervise 8-10 student employeesAdviseESC clubs centering clubs celebrating and honoring Latine identity. Includes liaising with Club Activities Office and faculty andstaffclub advisors.

• Advise individual students tosupport their development academic success and holistic well-being.

• Provide connections toadditionaluniversity and community resources asappropriate.

• Provide direct outreach to current and prospective students. Participate in speaking and tabling opportunities and at events including Fall Info Fair and events hosted by Admissions University Residences and the Counseling and Wellness Center.

• Foster a supportive and student-centered environment to empower and equip students with skills and strategies to engage in self-advocacy and be academically successful.

Institutional support and guidance (20%)

• Collaborate and consult with departments in and beyond The Centers to embedappropriate resourcesthroughout our student services.

• Meet regularly with fellow supervisors of student staff

• Develop implement and assess student staff training with other staff members RepresentTheOffice of Multicultural Student Services and The Centers at university committees

• Participate in strategic planning for MSS and The Centers and contribute to assessment communication and reporting about programming and services provided by La Plaza including annual reporting.

• Support the Director of the Office of Multicultural Student Services on policies procedures and issues relevant to LaPlazaoperations and programming.

• Research and share best practices with faculty staff and administrators to support Latine communities in navigating and succeeding academically. Develop and implement a structure for sharing promising practices and resources with colleagues on an ongoing basis.

Administration(15%)

• Ensure compliance with applicable university policies and procedures including record retention requirements. Coordinateappropriate trainingwith student staff to support compliance with requirements in ways that build student leadership.

• Manage the Latine Center annual budget of approximately $200000 in collaboration with the Director of Multicultural Student Services. Including professional staff salary and benefits student staff salaries and programmatic budget across multiple funding streams

• Manage public platforms for communication and resource provision includingmaintainingthe La Plaza website and developing the La Plaza social media presence to support student engagement

• Participate in strategic planning for MSS and The Centers and contribute to communication and reporting about programming and services provided by the Latine Center including annual reporting.

Other Duties as Assigned(5%):

• Participate in division and university committees and initiatives as assigned by the Director of the Office of Multicultural Student Services

• Participate in regular professional developmentregardingcommunity accessibility and intercultural engagement

• Support the management of the Ethnic Student Center programs andfront-deskwith otherprofessional staff

• Masters degree and one year of relevant work experience in student affairs student services or higher education or a bachelors degree in a relevant field and two years of relevant work experience in student affairs student services or higher education or an equivalent combination of education and professional work experience.
• Knowledge of current and historical statewide and national Latine student movements and historical issues impacting Latine student success.
• Experience effectively advising students and/or young adult leaders of programs clubs or organizations to support student leadership development including demonstrated success providing culturally responsive advising services to BIPOC students.
• Ability to orient Latine students to the culture of the university and provide support services to help Latine students achieve their personal academic and professional goals.
• Experience designing and facilitating programming and trainings that advance positive identity development and build leadership skills for students who hold multiple marginalized identities with a specific focus on Latine populations.
• Demonstrated ability to engage students of diverse identities in intercultural learning and dialogue.
• Experience supervising student employees.
• Strong small and large group facilitation skills and written communication skills.
• Ability to develop and manage budgets.
• Knowledge of student leadership and student development theories and their applications in practice.
• Excellent professional judgment and the ability to make decisions that align with organizational mission and goals.
• Demonstrated ability to perform job responsibilities collaboratively with colleagues and students across departments and disciplines.
• Demonstrated organizational and time management skills with ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

• Masters degree in a field related to job responsibilities for example Student Affairs Administration Education Ethnic or Cultural Studies or Psychology.
• Demonstrated leadership experience in multicultural services or identity-based resource centers in higher education.
• Demonstrated skills and experience in strategic assessment of programs services and/or student learning outcomes.
• Fluency in Spanish.

Benefits Overview for Administrative Professional Position.

A cover letter and resume are required and should address your experience related to the position responsibilities and the required and preferred qualifications. Please include the names and contact information of three professional references. References will only be contacted if necessary with notice provided beforehand.

Western Washington University (WWU) is an equal opportunity compliance with applicable laws WWU does not discriminate on the basis of race ethnicity color national origin age citizenship or immigration status pregnancy use of protective leave genetic status sex sexual orientation gender identity gender expression marital status creed religion veteran or military status disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal (including a service animal in training) by a person with a disability or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local law in its programs or activities including employment admissions and educational programs. See WWUs Policies onProhibiting Discrimination Based on A Protected Class and Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Sex. Inquiries may be directed to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance Title IX and ADA Coordinator Western Washington University Old Main 126 (MS 9021) 516 High Street Bellingham WA 98225; 360.650.3307 (voice) or 711 (Washington Relay);

WWU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request an accommodation please contactHuman Resources Disability Services 360.650.3751 or 711 (Washington Relay).

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: This report is provided pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (The Clery Act). It includes statistics for the previous three calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on Westerns campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Western; and on public property within or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use crime prevention the reporting of crimes sexual assault and other matters. You can obtain a copy of this report in printed or alternate formats by contacting the Office of Student Life at . The report can be found at: Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.

All new employees must comply with the immunization policy and show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service before beginning work at WWU. A thorough background check will be conducted on all new hires which includes a sexual misconduct background check.